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Newsletter
May 6, 2026
Greetings!
In this issue, I am excited to share our new Compelling Worship resource guide, centered on our 10 Core Values.
It's easy to relegate our Core Values to slogans or sayings that get pulled out every few years for a sermon series. Don't get me wrong; sermon series are great! But this resource guide invites us to consider ways the Core Values might impact regular congregational life, asking how they may create space for transformative discipleship.
There's a lot to cover in this issue, so let's jump in!
Be blessed!
Salynda Hogsett
BIC U.S. Communications, content editor
| | An early morning view at Fairview BIC, Englewood, Ohio. Photo by Pastor Chris Hall. | | |
📰 In this month's issue:
‣ Compelling Worship: Free Congregational Resources on Core Values
‣ Meet Ericka Henry: Our New Multiplication Coordinator
‣ Meet the Nursery, Children's, and Youth Directors for General Assembly
‣ A Ministry Partner for Every Season: BIC Foundation Partners with LifePoint Church
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Scripture Meditation
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
📖 READ
Matthew 5:9 - “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
🙏 REFLECT
Conflict manifests in myriad ways: interpersonal turmoil, international tensions, and physical violence just to name a few. Jesus was intimately familiar with conflict (after all, both his birth and death were marked by the harsh realities of Roman occupation). Against this rough backdrop, he blessed those who pursue peace, calling them “children of God.”
Consider your own life, community, and congregation; where is there conflict? Prayerfully consider, how may God be calling you to be a peacemaker?
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Compelling Worship
Free Congregational Resources on BIC Core Values
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Compelling Worship is a dynamic, intergenerational worship guide designed to help us embrace our 10 Core Values in every aspect of congregational life.
Each BIC congregation received a printed version of the resource at their regional conference’s annual meeting this spring, but this free resource is meant to be shared and reused!
On our website, you can now download the full PDF to print additional copies or share specific sections plus gain access to a whole library of digital exclusives.
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Connecting the Dots
Over the past three years, multiple initiatives have come together around our 10 Core Values, including Compelling Worship. Kara Kacmar (worship pastor at Fairview BIC, Ohio) was involved in several of the initiatives, and in our latest blog, she traces how God brought all the pieces together. She writes:
“We have something to share with the wider Church through the way we feel God calling us to walk with him."
Read the Blog
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The Compelling Worship Album
The Towel and Basin Worship Collective – a group made up of BIC musicians, pastors, and songwriters – is thrilled to announce the release of their first album, Compelling Worship, a companion album to the resource guide.
You can now listen on all major streaming platforms.
Listen & Learn More
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Meet Ericka Henry
Our New Multiplication Coordinator
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Late last year, we shared the launch of a Multiplication Movement Vision, and a crucial part of the new vision was hiring a Multiplication Coordinator to help implement the plan. Today, we are pleased to welcome Ericka Henry to this role!
Ericka is a pastor, church planter, and missional practitioner with over 15 years of ministry leadership in contexts spanning mega-church teams to micro-church communities and more. Ericka is the founder of Holy District, a grassroots BIC network of neighborhood-based faith communities focused on local transformation.
“I’m excited to keep learning with others, collaborating across the Church, and supporting everyday disciples as God sparks new and renewed multiplying works among us,” she says.
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Connect with Ericka!
Current or potential multiplication leaders are invited to jumpstart the conversation by sharing their multiplication initiative ideas via this online form available in English and Spanish.
You can also contact Ericka at ehenry@bicus.org.
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General Assembly: Meet the Nursery, Children's, and Youth Directors
Plus, Our Evening Speaker Lineup
| | General Assembly isn’t just for adults – it’s for kids, too! Today, we’re excited to introduce the three directors for the various age groups. From left to right, Elizabet Gendriz will lead nursery ministry, Jelany Mesa will lead children's ministry, and Paola Villa Moreno will lead youth ministry. Thank you all for making this vital part of our gathering possible! | |
Evening Speaker Lineup
Each evening of General Assembly, we gather for worship and teaching. These evening sessions are open to the public, and we invite all to hear our speakers preach on this year’s theme, Multiplica!
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Friday, July 24 – Aner Morejon, bishop, Southeast Conference
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Saturday, July 25 – Heather Beaty, bishop, Susquehanna Conference
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Sunday, July 26 – Filiberto Zapata, lead pastor, Aliento de Vida (Kansas)
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Monday, July 27 – Alan Robinson, national director, BIC U.S.
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Building a Tool for Ministry
LifePoint Church's Expansion Projects are about Advancing Good and Changing Lives
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“How can a building be a tool to accomplish our ministry?
"When we talk about a building and what that means, it's always in service to that mission. It's never an end in itself. It's not a monument to me. It's not a monument to a board or a few families that give money. It's not just about brick and mortar. No, this is mission, so it needs to accomplish something."
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One last thing...
Growing up in the BIC, I have fond memories of Vacation Bible School (VBS), both as an elementary participant and later as a teen helper. In addition to the games, lessons, crafts, and snacks, I always loved the fundraising project. Watching us inch closer to our goal each night gave me a sense of purpose, a connection to something beyond myself.
If your church is hosting VBS this summer and you are looking for a fundraising project, check out our Partnership Handbook.
The projects in the Handbook come from across the global BIC community and include a wide variety of goals from malaria prevention at hospitals to motorcycles for pastors. Plus, we cover all administrative costs, so 100% of your donation goes to supporting communities around the world.
Questions? Just reply to this email, and I’ll be happy to connect you with more info!
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